Build an Inclusive Workplace You’re Proud Of in 2025
Dr. Jonathan Ashong-Lamptey
Helping People Leaders Deliver High Impact Inclusion Work | Host of world's longest running inclusion podcast "Element of Inclusion"
Every week, I start this newsletter by sharing 3 popular posts from the previous 7 days.
Not because they’re the “best” posts but because they show what resonates most in public.
(But remember, not everything people find valuable gets a public response.)
In 2025 I will continue to support you on your inclusion journey.
But I want to remind you that I’ve already been supporting you.
It’s no secret that DEI is under comprehensive attack by powerful voices.
Some think this is a good thing.
So what can you do in 2025?
Here’s a few things to consider from posts I shared with you last year.
Superficial Gestures Are Outdated
I think that’s a good thing.
- Less scripted panel events that don’t develop careers.
- Less staged photo opportunities that don’t reflect reality.
- Less ambiguous award applications that don’t help employees.
Instead it’s necessary to find solutions for specific problems in your specific organisation.
This will require more than superficial gestures.
This will require the cooperation of people who are sitting on the fence.
This will require a comprehensive approach from People leaders at work.
When I say People Leaders I mean people with job titles like:
- HR Director
- VP of People
- HR Business Partner
- Chief Diversity Officer
- Head of People & Culture
They are normally tasked with doing this work .
These are the people who typically become our clients.
But the title isn’t what I want to draw attention to.
People Leaders need the support of everyone.
You Don’t Need a Job Title to Be Inclusive
- You don’t have to work in Talent.
- You don’t have to be a Chief Diversity Officer.
You just need to make better decisions as you progress on your Inclusion Journey.
You Don’t Need Lived Experience Either.
Myth:
Reality:
Lived experience makes you an expert in your lived experience.
It doesn’t mean expertise to solve other people’s problems.
That requires other skills.
Not everyone has them.
Ignoring this is a mistake.
So what should you do instead?
Stop chasing “Diversity awards”
One looks good to people OUTSIDE the organisation.
The other looks good to people INSIDE the organisation.
Decide who you are trying to impress.
But remember the consequences.
A workplace you’re proud of IS an award… from your colleagues.
Start With A Simple Question
Imagine someone in your business asks:
“Why is Diversity important to us here?”
Lots of leaders say:
“it’s the right thing to do.”
The Problem:
The answer is generic.
It relates to all businesses.
Not yours specifically.
Lots of leaders say:
“Mckinsey show diversity means greater profits”
The Problem:
The answer is inaccurate.
No one knows if greater diversity creates greater profits.
Or if it’s the other way round.
Lots of leaders say:
“We need to be seen to be doing something.”
The Problem:
The answer is performative.
It indicates you care more about the “optics”
Than doing anything useful.
This is a common problem.
This has consequences.
People will think think you’re:
- Uninterested
- Uninformed
- Uninspired
That’s the kind of leader no one wants to follow.
You don’t need to be a subject matter expert.
But you do need an answer to that question.
This is one of the 3 Biggest Problems organisations experience on their Inclusion Journey.
Don’t let this be one of yours.
Get an answer for yourself.
- What does Diversity mean where you work?
- Who are the people that represent this meaning?
- What does this mean for their career experiences?
- Now find a real example to demonstrate this
This is oversimplified.
But it’s a start.
Doing this makes you one of the 1%
Build Your Own Business Case for Diversity
Turns out I was wrong. From the beginning I made a single crucial mistake:
I believed people when they said the words “research shows”.
Like everyone else I was convinced by what I heard.
Why wouldn’t I be?
We’re talking about:
- Authors
- Politicians
- Consultants
- Researchers
- Business Leaders
All saying the same thing: Diversity in the workplace leads to better outcomes.
They had anecdotes.
They had case studies.
They had research findings.
It took me a while to realise they also had a limited perspective.
It took hundreds of hours of investigation for me to understand the facts.
Here’s what I learned:
There’s plenty of research that shows Diversity in the workplace can create challenges.
People choose not to talk about it.
I realised the “experts” either:
- Didn’t know the full picture
OR
- Didn’t share the full picture
It’s an open secret.
For example:
The UK Government Equalities Office assessed the “evidence for the business case for diversity and equality”.
Their report found that firms have reaped business benefits but it didn’t apply to “all firms at all times”.
That report is from 2013.
No one disputes it.
The problem is no one talks about it.
This has consequences.
A common mistake is for organisations to rely on a generic Business Case For Diversity.
They think Diversity will be good for them because of what they heard it’s done for others.
One of the 3 Biggest Problems organisations experience on their Inclusion Journey is their inability to articulate a “Business Case For Diversity” for their specific organisation.
They can’t say why Diversity and Inclusion is relevant or what it means to THEM.
This has consequences.
I tell my clients to focus less on THE Business Case For Diversity and more on THEIR Business Case For Diversity.
If they don’t
Someone will make create a random one for them.
I encourage you not to follow the crowd.
I encourage you to make your own mind up.
I’m cheering you on so you can make this work.
Here’s a bonus for you to start the year.
If you plan on reading books to increase your critical mass of knowledge.
(I developed this during my PhD)
- Why is this important?
- Who is this book for?
- What are the key messages?
- What are the key takeaways?
- What else should I consider?
This makes good books great.
It makes weak books more useful.
It saves me a lot of time.
Hope it can be of value to you.
PS.
For the first time I'm sharing everything I know about efficiently building inclusive workplaces without you needing to be a DEI specialist.
Every week, you will get an actionable brief to help you do the following:
1) Earn the trust of your colleagues
2) Optimise for measurable results
3) Implement systematic processes
Have you shared this with a colleague yet?
Think about who needs to know this.
They need a friend like you.
As always
I’m cheering you on.
Dr. Jonathan
I help people and organisations to embrace the ageing population. Co-Founder Brave Starts. Chartered Psychologist.
4hThank you for calling out that we don’t need ‘lived experience’ to be legitimate. I personally get really irritated when I might be making a point, but my lack of ‘lived experience’ somehow makes it less valid. Similarly, in an attempt to sway influence when others throw in their sample size of their one personal experience as if that makes what they are saying the panacea for everything.
Passionate Senior HR/People Professional specialising in growing HR functions / Skilled at aligning strategic HR and organisational goals
1dHappy New Year! Thank you for kicking it off with this succinct & helpful post - as always!
Helping founders and consultants build, grow and monetise their personal brand on LinkedIn.
2dReal inclusion starts where performative stops. Loving this focus!